Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns Beeman R7 scope and mount questions

I need a quiet air rifle. I don't know much about air rifles but from what I've read here and elsewhere it looks like the R7's the best choice. It seems to come with some pretty decent sights. If it's feasible I'd like to leave them on the rifle for indoor shooting but use a scope for longer outside shots.

Is there a mounting system that will allow me to remove the scope for indoor use and reliably return the scope to zero when remounting it? Will I be able to mount a scope low enough to be useable without removing the open sights?

I'll be using this for short range plinking, informal target shooting and maybe head shots on squirrels at 50/60 feet max.
What's a good quality, air rifle compatible scope that won't break the bank? I don't want a big, high magnification scope. It seems a 4x or 6x would be plenty given what appears to be the effective range of the R7.

Thanks.

Just get a decent airgun scope with adjustable objective. Most can focus down to within a few yards so there's no need for iron sights. I've not yet found a good system for changing back and forth since most airguns use 11mm dovetails.

There are a number of 2-7x and 3-9x airgun scopes. For the life of me I don;t understand why people go cheap on airgun scopes, particularly after spending several hundred dollars on a quality airgun.

I am partial to the Leupold 3-9x rimfire/airgun, but Beeman, Bushnell, Nikko Sterling, Hawke, RWS and several others sell airgun scopes that are popular. I recently got to try the Hawke 2-7x32 AO Map and was impressed. Dor about $125 you get AO and an external elevation knob. Optics are bright and clear. Many seem impressed with them, and I am going to give one a try.

Check out the airmax series: http://www.hawkeoptics.com/us/riflescopes/airmax/index.php

I have used a 3x Beeman scope on my FWB124 shooting squirrels out to 60-70 yds. My R9 has had a 4x Bushnell airgun scope, and also at one time used a Leupold 4x, the newer 33 obj. model in an M8 series. Held up fine.

I don't like to overscope my rifles and a light weight scope of modest power, good field of view works for me, and the wobbles are not over magnified when shooting in the field, not on steady bags.

If me, I'd look at a light low power like a 2.5x Leupold if me, as it would keep the gun handy, and light and do all you need.

A peep sight may not be a bad option for you as well for that distance, but your eyesight will determine that, good luck.

The Iron sights on the R-7 are good, but won't allow you to approach the accuracy potential of the rifle. And believe me, this rifle is very accurate with the right pellet. I have owned two R-7s, the first, purchased for my boys, was fitted with a Bushnell 4X air rifle scope. The boys plinked with it out to close to 100 yards (after learning the drop) and killed 100s of starlings and blackbirds out to 40 yards. We kept it by the door as our house and garden gun, and used it for pests and game up to the size of Fox Squirrels and Cottontails. (For larger preditors there was a scoped .22 Magnum standing next to it.)

When my older stepson moved out, he took the little R-7 with him and I realized that my heavier, more powerful HW-77 was not a good replacement fot the little R-7. In particular, my wife could not cock the heavier spring gun, and found it too heavy for offhand shooting.

I purchased a second R-7, this one without iron sights, as I knew I would be scoping it. At first I had a 20 year old Bushnell 4 X 12 on it but soon discovered that optics have improved greatly in that time span. A couple of months ago I replaced the Bushnell with a Hawke 4X12 AirMax. This has proven to be nearly perfect scope for this rifle as I can shoot close range at 4X or 6x and crank it up to ten for hunting.

For your purposes the 2x7 or 3x9 Airmax sould likely do as well.

I have a Leapers 6X AO on my R-7. Wonderfull little scope - nearly perfect match to the R-7. I paid $60 for it from Opticsplanet.com and have it mounted in Beeman Rings. The scope has mill dots and with a little shooting can be very deadly at longer ranges.